What the Latest CSO Stats and the SD Worx HR and Payroll Pulse Say About Women’s Earnings

Ireland’s labour market is almost unrecognisable compared to a generation ago. Twenty‑five years ago, just over 640,000 women were in employment, according to the CSO. Today, that number has more than doubled, with 1.33 million women participating in the workforce. It’s one of the most significant social and economic shifts in modern Irish history- and it’s reshaped what employees expect from their organisations. 

But while participation has soared, equality in pay hasn’t kept pace. New CSO figures for 2024–2025 show a more complicated reality: women are working in greater numbers, contributing across every sector, yet the gap between their earnings and those of men persist, especially at the top. These insights arrive at a crucial moment for employers. In 2025, the Gender Pay Gap Information Act extends reporting obligations to all organisations with 50 or more employees, meaning thousands of employers will be publishing their data for the first time. 

See also: Gender Pay Gap Reporting: What Does it Mean for Irish Employers?

The rise in female employment is remarkable. Since 1998, the number of women in work has doubled. Women now power key pillars of the Irish economy, particularly in Education and in Health and Social Work, where they represent more than three‑quarters of the workforce. These sectors are essential, impactful and people‑centred, but historically, they have also been lower paid. 

We have dived into the SD Worx HR and Payroll Pulse 2026, our own report, surveying over 1000 employees in Ireland, and a wealth of HR and Payroll professionals. According to the stats, we find that women dominate in the part-time sphere too, with 25% of women interviewed working part time versus 15% of men. Part-time work cannot be treated as a “side track” if employers want to retain and progress women. 

That helps explain why overall earnings for women still lag. In 2024, the CSO recorded median weekly earnings for women at €654.07. And while representation in the highest‑earning bracket has improved, just 27.6% of the top 1% of earners were women in 2024. That’s progress- up from 22.6% in 2019 - but still far from equal. 

When we look at this data as a whole, a picture emerges: women are now participating at unprecedented levels, yet the structural factors influencing pay- sector, seniority, career progression, breaks for caring, access to flexible work- continue to shape outcomes. 

The CSO’s findings form the backdrop to the next major milestone in Ireland’s pay transparency journey. Since 2025, the reporting requirement has extended to employers with 50 or more employees. For many organisations, this year and last will be their first time navigating the legislation, preparing a dataset, or publishing a narrative that explains their results. 

Gender pay gap reporting isn’t about comparing like‑for‑like roles - it’s about examining the overall pay landscape within your organisation. It highlights where women sit across your pay structure, how bonuses and allowances are distributed, and how working patterns influence outcomes. The CSO data gives employers important external context: if those national trends appear inside your business too, you’re not alone- but you do have an opportunity to act. 

For most organisations, the hardest part of gender pay gap reporting isn’t the explanation, but the data. Even with the best intentions, a report will fall apart if the underlying payroll information isn’t clean, complete and categorised correctly. 

Where organisations tend to struggle is not in salary data, but in the complexities of real‑world pay: overtime, shift premia, allowances, irregular bonuses, part‑time hour patterns, and the impact of leave. Statutory leave such as maternity, parent’s leave or carer’s leave can distort averages if the system isn’t treating the data consistently. And when HR and payroll systems don’t speak to each other, this becomes even more challenging. 

That’s why many employers discover too late that their data isn’t “report‑ready”. The CSO’s statistics underline the importance of getting this right- especially when the spotlight is moving beyond large employers to smaller, more resource‑stretched organisations. 

Ireland’s economy, but still face very different working realities compared to men. Women are far more likely to work part time than men (25% vs 15%). . Women are often disproportionately concentrated in sectors like healthcare, education and public administration, while men dominate manufacturing, construction and technical fields.  

These structural patterns shape everything from contract security to career progression: women are more likely to hold fixed-term or temporary roles, have shorter tenure on average, and are less present in the top layers of leadership.  

Even when payroll processes run smoothly, women report greater financial pressure and lower confidence in pay fairness. Taken together, the data highlights a workforce that is increasingly diverse in numbers, but still uneven in experience - and it gives employers a clear opportunity to bridge those gaps with better job design, flexible working options and more inclusive career pathways. 

For employers preparing their 2025 report, this is the moment to take stock. Understanding your workforce through the lens of the CSO data is a valuable starting point. The next step is ensuring your internal data can paint an accurate picture of your own organisation. That means reviewing how pay elements are classified, checking how absences are recorded, and making sure part‑time and full‑time hours are aligned in a way that will stand up to scrutiny. 

Just as importantly, gender pay gap reporting is not only about compliance. It’s an opportunity to reflect, plan and act. For many organisations, the process becomes a catalyst for broader conversations about progression, flexibility, talent pipelines and reward structures. The CSO data simply reinforces what many employers are already seeing: women are contributing more than ever, and employers who support them effectively are far better positioned for long‑term success. 

See also: How Company Culture Can Be a Catalyst for Gender Balance

At SD Worx, we help employers turn complex HR and payroll data into accurate, confident reporting. With structured pay elements, clear classification rules and integrated systems, we make it easier to extract clean datasets and identify any anomalies well before you publish. 

The CSO’s latest figures show how far Ireland has come, and how far there is still to go. Women’s participation in the labour market has transformed Irish workplaces. But earnings data makes it clear that structural gaps remain, and they won’t close without intention and action. 

Gender pay gap reporting is one important part of that journey. With accurate data, clear processes and a commitment to transparency, employers can use this year’s reporting cycle not just as a compliance exercise, but as an opportunity to make progress that matters.